Originally Posted By: edshaw
Asia, obviously, does not have a highly developed stigma against plagiarism like we do.

Interesting observation. Before the USA had a big corporate music recording industry, lots of songs were written and shared rather than sold. The folks making money off the music were the performers who had learned the songs and were hired to perform them at an event. So lots of music got passed along or "given" to each generation without much attention being paid to who wrote or owned the music. (Yes, I know there was a sheet music industry but prolly not a lot sold in places like Appalachia!)

Then we got technology that facilitated sharing music and a business model was quickly built to distribute music for a profit. With that business culture came much of the "stigma against plagiarism" because those hoping to sell you something are never too keen on you sharing it without them getting their cut!

Fast forward to today...With all of the music available for free or just a token amount I wonder if perhaps we are entering a new era of music that is written and passed along? Of course, Apple and Spotify and their ilk will always be looking to profit from it.